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Scott's Moment of Truth

Actor Conrad Coleby may only be a year older than his All Saintscharacter Scott Zinenko, but he speaks with a maturity beyond his 22 years.

Viewers of this week's episode of All Saintswill have watched as trainee ambulance officer Scott dealt with the harrowing situation of having a girl with a crush on him attempt to take her own life.

"It's a learning curve for Scott because he realises that you can't treat women the way he has, as you're actually messing with their emotions," Conrad says.

It is yet another challenge for All Saints'affable, easygoing ambo, but Conrad says he's enjoying playing Scott as he grows and changes through his experiences. For his character, the storyline is close to home: Scott's own father committed suicide when Scott was young—a scar he still bears.

"It's a hard thing to talk about. I think there's a lot of pressure on young people nowadays to succeed," Conrad says. "The way things are portrayed on television and in commercials, we're told that it's all about having great clothes and money and a great girlfriend, but this is really the wrong idea about life.

"Life shouldn't be about those things. Life should be about running in the rain or going down to that beach, or sitting in a favourite spot and watching the ocean. Life's about nature and being in nature rather than about all those nutty things. I suppose all this pressure makes people take life too seriously," contemplates Conrad.

He has some good advice for anyone who feels things are getting on top of them: think of life as a game of snakes and ladders. Snakes are life's challenges; the ladders are life's opportunities. And they complement each other perfectly.

"The game would be boring without the snakes, because there'd be no challenge, and life is a challenge. People tend to take negative things in life personally, but if you can be objective about them you'll be able to enjoy and appreciate the good times when they come even more.'"

If you need someone to talk to, phone Lifeline on 131 114 or Kids Helpline on 1800 55 1800, or visit the Reach Out website (reachout.asn.au).